VOICES OF SEPTEMBER 11th TO HOLD 12th ANNUAL INFORMATION FORUM ON SEPTEMBER 10TH

Voices of September 11th (VOICES) will host its 12th Annual Information Forum on September 10th at the Downtown Marriott Hotel. The forum brings together members of the 9/11 community, including family members, responders and survivors, as well as government leaders, service providers, and subject matter experts. Programming will include informative presentations, panel discussions, roundtable conversations and 9/11 exhibits.

Highlights of the day's events will include the following.

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Special Master Sheila Birnbaum will provide an update on the Victim Compensation Fund and Laurie Breyer, the WTC Health Program Services Manager at CDC/NIOSH, will explain the services provided through the World Trade Center Health Program. These discussions will be of particular interest to those who lived, went to school or worked in Lower Manhattan after 9/11.

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Joe Daniels, President / CEO of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum and Alice M. Greenwald, Executive Vice President for Programs, Director of the 9/11 Memorial Museum, will give an update on the 9/11 Memorial & Museum.

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A panel will discuss how the World Trade Center Health Program provides health care for qualified survivors and responders. Participants include: Laurie Breyer from the CDC/NIOSH,. Terry Miles, Executive Director of the Survivor Program at Bellevue Hospital, and Annie Lok, Program Coordinator at the Responder Program at Mt. Sinai Hospital.

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World-renowned Integrative Psychiatrist Dr. Richard Brown will talk about how breathwork and meditation can help people heal from trauma, including natural and man-made disasters. Dr. Brown is on the faculty of the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and is Chairman of "Serving Those Who Serve."

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Writer and urban anthropologist Elizabeth Greenspan will discuss her new book, "Battle For Ground Zero: Inside the Political Struggle To Rebuild the World Trade Center." She writes regularly about 9/11 in The Atlantic online and is currently teaching at Harvard University. Dr. Benjamin Luft, Director of the Long Island Clinical Center of Excellence, will discuss his book, "Remembering 9/11."

There will be opportunities to obtain more information about the World Trade Center Health Program, the Victim Compensation Fund and the 9/11 Museum at the tables and exhibits that will be part of the forum throughout the day.

Visit www.voicesofseptember11.org for more information.Press welcome to attend, but space is limited and registration is required in advance.

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About Voices of September 11th

Voices of September 11th (VOICES) is nationally recognized for its innovative approach to providing a wide range of support services that promote resiliency for thousands of 9/11 families, first responders and survivors. In 2006, VOICES launched the 9/11 Living Memorial Project to chronicle the nearly 3,000 lives lost and document the stories of survivors. The Living Memorial, an extensive digital collection of over 70,000 photographs and personal keepsakes, will be a core component of the exhibits at the 9/11 Museum in New York City. A strong advocate for national preparedness, Voices of September 11th promotes reforms to make the country safer.

Recent acts of mass violence and natural disasters have underscored the need for communities to be better prepared. In the Spring of 2014, Voices of September 11th is launching a Resource Kit and a comprehensive program to assist communities in preparing for, responding to, and recovering from incidents of mass violence or natural disasters. The recommendations are based on scholarly research and lessons learned from interviews conducted with those who responded to the attacks on September 11th, the Oklahoma City bombing, and the shootings at Virginia Tech, Northern Illinois University and Tucson, Arizona.

Looking ahead, VOICES is committed to helping families and communities heal after tragedies. By assisting organizations in establishing a framework for public/private partnerships, VOICES will share lessons learned to promote resiliency in the lives of those impacted by other acts of mass violence or natural disasters.

Voices of September 11th is a 501c3 nonpartisan organization that provides information and a wide range of support services to promote resiliency and address the long-term needs of all those affected by September 11th; commemorates the lives and stories of September 11, 2001; and advocates for public policy reform to promote national preparedness.